Metropolis
by Final Hikari
Summary: Albel Nox stood at a high point in the city of Arkives, observing the technological utopia that stretches on around him when Nel finally found him. Present for Mizu-Inu


_Present for Mizu-Inu! Star Ocean: Till The End of Time_

Final Hikari: Star Ocean (Albel x Nel) fan fiction. Oh my. XD Yes, I have played more Star Oceans than just The Last Hope! Though TLH will always be my favorite. -brick'd by the countless TTEOT fans-

Albel: Get on with it, fool.

Final Hikari: -ignores him- Now, I want to give everyone fair warning! I did quite a bit of reference work, but it's still been several years since I last played SO3. So I'm a bit unfamiliar with Albel and Nel at the moment, but I'm writing this as a request of my friend Mizu-Inu! :D

Nel: The Final Hikari doesn't own anything from Star Ocean: Till The End of Time.

Final Hikari: And if I did---

Albel: -jerks the author's head back painfully to cover her mouth- Don't start, maggot.

Metropolis

Albel Nox stood atop the high railing that separated the semi-translucent roads from the endless sky that stretched on in all directions above and below. Some white, puffy clouds dotted the interminable stretch of blue, but all of them were a perfect, puffy white. One couldn't see a rain or snow could in sight.

Supposedly the citizens of the advanced civilization could manipulate the atmosphere's weather patterns - so he'd been told, at least. The Four Dimensional beings seemed to lack regard to any form of nature, even its most fundamental parts.

He was balanced on the thin metal effortlessly, and the street corner was free of passerby, leaving him to gain no strange looks.

Not that there were any citizens in Arkives that didn't stare at him like a freak. Their entire group had been greeted with a great deal of scrutiny at every turn. He was, after all, and off-worlder; the kind of person that only existed in their warped, mislead definition of fiction. The civilians weren't all that different from the ones that lived peacefully in Airyglyph, even though they were apparently 'real.'

_At least by the definition of the scum in this world…_

The air was clean and fresh, but the faintest scent of cleaning chemicals seemed to be carried in it. There was no breeze to speak of, nor wind of any type throughout the city of Arkives. Everything was synthetic. He'd gotten a taste of the lifestyle that was called modern on planets other than his own in the recent weeks and months. However, the city the group had come into was very different from the Earthling society, or that of any other more advanced civilization in the Milky Way.

It was more overly machined and full of unnecessary conveniences than any of the other cultures he saw through the technology of the Earthlings. Not one person in the city looked as though they'd experienced hardship - though their lives were not perfect, they could be seen as very close to it in comparison to the lives of the people in the war torn cities of his country.

Even the ground beneath his feet was made of materials foreign to anything on his home planet; they were semitranslucent and reflected whoever walked above them. It seemed that it was easier to find someone by their reflection rather than their shadow. There were complex serious of marks and signs imbedded below the surface, most of which was writing in a seemingly hieroglyphic language completely foreign to him.

It might have been seen as beautiful to some, but he could find no such interpretation in it.

He heard footsteps click against the glass from the far side of the platform, but didn't bother to turn around. Listening to the calm but rather businesslike stride of the approaching person made it easy to identify her - he could recognize almost any trait of Nel Zelpher's over a stranger's. She was the only Elicoorian other than himself to witness the strange otherworld that was supposedly far superior to their own.

"You shouldn't just stand up there for no reason. Sometimes the platforms shift," she remarked, tone just a bit lighter than usual.

He scoffed and crossed his arms, turning around with a precarious spin on his heel to face her. Did she really think even if it did move, that he'd fall? If the comment came from anyone else, he'd most likely have taken it as a fool hardy threat. "What do you want, Zelpher?"

"It's getting late," she replied simply. "We've got to leave at dawn. You should come back to the inn."

"Pfft. Then why isn't the sky getting any darker?" he retorted, waving his hand dismissively at the endless blue around them.

"Apparently twilight only lasts for a few minutes in this land…," she trailed off, unaffected by his rude demeanor. "One of the locals said as much. It's either something to do with the planet's orbit, or the way they manipulate everything. There doesn't seem to be much they can't control in this world."

"Hmph. They can't do much about us," he objected. "Those maggots in their security force were pathetic."

"Agreed," she said, walking casually over to the rail.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as she approached and leaned her arms against the cool metal surface. Her expression was distant, but her eyes remained calculating. She never let her guard don't completely; it was something he couldn't help but respect about her, even if only slightly. She was from the enemy kingdom, and they were both aware their connections ran deeper than that, but he did, for some reason, enjoy her company.

Not that he'd ever admit to it or anything else that might seem sentimental.

She was the least annoying in the group, if nothing else. At times the antics of the others would be bothersome or hindering to the mission they were on. She also didn't sigh and walk away from him after a failed attempt to make conversation, either. Sophia and even sometimes Maria would often do such.

"Overall, what do you think of this place?" she questioned after a few moments of silence.

"I hate it," he said bluntly.

She smirked slightly at the response, not the slightest bit surprised. "I suppose I didn't have to ask, hmm?"

He grumbled an unintelligible response and the silence once again fell upon them. It was peaceful, in an odd way, and not the slightest bit awkward. They were both misplaced in a different world, but whether it was truly a utopia, like it outwardly seemed, or if a dark dystopia lurked beneath the façade.

One fact was unquestionable; the Four Dimensional world they now found themselves in was nothing like their home. But more than anything else, if they didn't make it in time, both they and their home planet would cease to exist.

* * *

Final Hikari: Ta-da! It was short, but I hoped you enjoyed reading, Mizu!

Albel: -squints- If I could read this strange language you write it, I'd find some foolish misspelling anyone who played the game should notice.

Final Hikari: -.- -whisper- How do you put up with him?

Nel: He grows on you. -matter of fact nod-

Albel Nox stood at a high point in the city of Arkives, observing the technological utopia that stretches on around him when Nel finally found him.


End file.
